Yashpal Sharma: The most important thing is attitude Special

Synergy is a much-praised management concept, and its application
to Indian cricket would undoubtedly reap rich benefits. The India
'A' tour to South Africa presents a shining example of such
synergy, where Yashpal Sharma's determination and single-minded
devotion, qualities that are outstanding in rags-to-riches
stories such as his, rub shoulders with Jagmohan Dalmiya's
corporate clout and workaholic zeal.

Sharma himself, when interviewed ahead of his departure for South
Africa as coach of the 'A' side, is quick to single out Dalmiya
for praise. "The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) is determined to take Indian cricket in the right
direction, and that is good," he said.

The tour itself consists of a three-day match and a limited-overs
game against the President's XI, as well as two four-day fixtures
and two limited-overs matches against South Africa 'A'. Running
from March 22 to April 19, the tour ensures that India 'A' gain
immense exposure to fast pitches and quality attacks.

The 'A' tour "is a wonderful concept," says Sharma. "It is a move
in the right direction. It is exposure for the youngsters at the
international level, and by this they stand to gain a lot. They
don't feel out of place when they make it to the big league."

When questioned about the targets that he, as a coach, has set
for the tour, Sharma displays a wonderful pragmatism. "Obviously
we want to win the series. But exposure is the most important
thing - to allow players to expose themselves to quality tracks,"
he said. "This is the second string of players for the 2003 World
Cup, and good results here will hold them in good stead."

Sharma pointed out some promising youngsters who had caught his
eye while making a point about the recent infusion of fresh blood
into the Indian team. "As we saw in the Hyderabad one-dayer, the
youngsters have a big role to play in pushing the seniors," he
said. "Gautam Gambhir has a big chance of making it big, and so
do the others. The selectors have got the balance right; the
squad has the potential to do well and it has tremendous balance
too. It will be a good experience for fast bowlers like Rakesh
Patel, L Balaji, Debasis Mohanty and Amit Bhandari."

The India 'A' coach took time out to praise Balaji in particular.
"L Balaji is a good prospect. He has the basic technique. He
needs to sharpen his skills," said Sharma. He also had some words
to offer on Parthiv Patel. "He is a very good young cricketer and
looks very confident. As a wicket-keeper, he is technically very
good, and he is also a hard-hitting batsman."

The generation gap is always a worry for the coach of a young
side, but Sharma ran up against no such problems. "In just two
hours, I could gel with them very well. My approach is that of a
senior player, and not exactly as a coach. I am trying to pass on
my experience and help build good careers," he said.

Sharma was known in his day as a gutsy and courageous cricketer,
always fighting till the last possible moment. He is now on a
mission to impart these qualities to the Indian youth. "As a
player, I always backed my fighting abilities," he said. "Skill
is important, but the most important thing is attitude, and I
will try to instill this fighting sprit in the boys."